Journey of the Magi
by Anica106
Summary: Named for the T.S. Eliot poem. A Christmas story. Hiei tries to show Yukina what she means to him by getting her a gift.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: I know this is a little late for Christmas, but it took me longer than I expected to finish it. This is the first time I've published a fanfic. Please review. If you flame me, I will repost your flame in my next chapter with the spelling and grammar corrected free of charge. (Yes, that was a joke.^_^

Flames are welcome, but if you're going to tell me that my story is horrible, please also tell me why so that I will not make the same mistakes next time.) There is no yaoi in this story--actually, there is really no romance at all. I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, Cracker Barrel, Coca-Cola, or the poem "Journey of the Magi."

Journey of the Magi

__

"Wake, awake, for night is flying

The watchmen on the heights are crying

Awake, Jerusalem, at last!

Midnight hears the welcome voices

And at the thrilling cry rejoices:

Come forth, ye virgins, night is past!

The Bridegroom comes, awake!

Your lamps with gladness take--

Alleluia!

And for his marriage feast prepare

For ye must go to meet him there."

Hiei glanced at Kurama's silver CD player as the music faded. Kurama was fond of classical music, especially(he had said once) German Christmas carols. He had not gone into any detail about what a Christmas carol was, and Hiei has not asked. He supposed that this was a Christmas carol, since everyone had been talking about Christmas lately. Hiei could not for the life of him understand this human celebration.

There was always a lot of talk about strange things at Christmas, things like flying animals and trees inside houses( which he did not understand but wished he did), and other things such as light and darkness and good and evil( which he did understand but wished he didn't).

Hiei shifted his position on Kurama's windowsill and looked out at the stars. There seemed to be an emphasis put on stars at this time of year, too. Hiei had seen dozens of commercials and Christmas cards showing three travelers following a large, over-bright star across the wilderness. Hiei did not understand exactly what the significance of this scene was to the humans, but it meant something to him anyway. He felt a certain kinship with the travelers. Their plight seemed to be his own: wandering, exhausted, alone, over miles and miles of wilderness(figurative and literal), chasing a hope, a dream of something more, a bright and shining light that never seemed to get any closer but at the same time would not allow him to turn away...Hiei wondered if they had ever found what they had been looking for.

Approaching footsteps jarred Hiei out of his thoughts. The door to the bedroom opened and Kurama appeared, carrying a stack of textbooks. He walked with some difficulty over to his desk and let the books drop onto it with a bang. He then sighed and massaged his arms. "Hello, Hiei."

Hiei looked curiously at the pile of books on the desk. Kurama gave a small grin. "I will be spending most of the next few days studying for my ACT, I'm afraid."

"Your ACT?"

"Yes. I'm beginning to think that school is more trouble than it's worth." He gave Hiei a wide-eyed look. "You could help me, you know. You could quiz me over my notes."

:What makes you think I would want to do that?"

"Because it's a nice thing to do," Kurama grinned. "You've got to make up for your behavior this year. It's almost Christmas."

Hiei blinked. He had always, ever since he had begun working with the Reikai Tantei, tried to avoid associating with anything human. He had always just kind of let this Christmas thing blow past him every year. However...now, now that the missions were over, and he had nothing else to occupy his thoughts, he found that his curiosity about the human world had been growing. He felt that he would like to know what the others meant when they said "Christmas." 

"Well?" Hiei said abruptly.

Kurama looked at him from over his notes. "What is it?"

"Aren't you going to explain this--this Christmas to me?" Hiei asked impatiently. 

Kurama put down his notes, looking surprised. "I never knew you even cared. Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Just tell me everything," Hiei snapped. "It's not like we have anything important to do."

Kurama, who did, in fact, have many important things he could have been doing, leaned back in his chair. "Well..." He considered, then continued. 

"Well, Christmas is seen by most people as a time of love and compassion."

Hiei snorted. "Humans? Showing love and compassion? Kurama, humans are worse than the cruelest demon--what?"

Kurama was regarding him patiently. "Are you going to let me talk?" 

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Please. Continue."

Kurama took a breath. "Well, Christmas is celebrated in a lot of different ways. Some people exchange gifts, some don't; some use it as an excuse for immoral behavior, some view it as a religious holiday. But the most widely practiced Christmas tradition is probably the legend of Santa Claus. According to the story, Santa lives at the North Pole and makes toys all year. On Christmas Eve, he goes around the world n a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and stops at each house. He lands on the roof and slides down the chimney while everyone's asleep. He leaves presents under the Christmas tree for people who have been good all year. The story goes that he leaves coal for people who have been bad."

Hiei had been listening wide-eyed. "Let me get this straight. The humans know full well that this man is going to break into their houses and they don't try to stop him? They _celebrate_ it? And the man breaks into the house to leave things instead of to take them? And everyone's OK with this?"

Kurama smiled. "He is not breaking in with the intention to steal. He leaves things because he wants to reward people who have been good."

Hiei frowned. "So why haven't I noticed someone breaking into my house every December twenty-fourth since I've been here?"

"Well, for one thing, you live in a tree, not a house. For another, this doesn't really happen; it's just a story."

"What? Then why do people celebrate it??" 

Kurama smiled patiently. "It's fun to pretend. The children enjoy it."

"I've seen them put out milk and cookies. Who eats them?"

"Usually the parents."

"So where do the presents come from?"

"Parents buy for children. Friends buy for each other."

"So what is the point of the Santa story?"

"It's fun."

"Stupid ningens."

"Yes. Well, you usually decorate your house for Christmas. You put up tinsel and decorate a tree that you put up in the house."

"Why a tree?"

"Well, evergreen trees symbolize the triumph of life over death. They bloom green and produce berries even in the darkest of winter. And they symbolize the hope that spring will come again."

Hiei blinked. After all these strange, unintelligible customs, this idea hit him powerfully. He did not quite understand why this was, but the image of a green tree in the middle of a harsh winter stayed in his mind's eye. He filed it away to dwell on later. "You know too much about trees," he muttered finally.

Kurama shrugged. "Anyway, a lot of people believe that Christmas is when the son of God was born on Earth in a human body. According to these people, he was born of a virgin, in a cave or barn, in a little nowhere town."

"In a barn?"

"Yes. The innkeeper turned the family away. There was no room for them."

Hiei knew how that felt as well. The thought of a baby being turned away stirred up whispers of memories that made his stomach clench painfully. He narrowed his eyes. _Stupid ningen holidays_, he thought angrily. Christmas seemed to Hiei so far as nothing more than a set of stories and traditions designed to bring about disturbing, discomforting thoughts in people.

_And it's all well and good for people like Kurama_, he thought suddenly. Kurama would spend Christmas Day with his human mother and father and brother, and they would probably spend the day doing stupid ningen things like exchanging gifts and singing carols and sharing family memories and saying they loved each other...

Hiei realized his fists were clenched. He stood up and turned to Kurama. "I have to go."

Kurama blinked. "Okay..."

"Good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow."

"it's cold outside, Hiei...Are you sure you don't want to stay here tonight? I can make you a bed on the couch."

"No. Thank you."

****

Kurama bit his lip as he watched Hiei leave. He had worried about this. Kurama knew from experience that the holidays were often nothing more than a catalyst for loneliness. He would have to make sure that Hiei was not alone on Christmas. He could invite him over to spend the morning with him and his family, but he knew Hiei would never accept. It would be too obviously an act of charity. Perhaps he would invite _everyone_ over. Hiei might come if he knew everyone would be there. And he would _not_ let Hiei sleep in that tree on Christmas Eve. _Maybe I'll make it a slumber party_, he thought amusedly...

****

Hiei walked down the street the next day feeling a bit ashamed of his abrupt departure from Kurama's the night before. Kurama probably thought he was mad at him or something. Well, he _had _been mad at him, but for pretty selfish reasons.

He should be happy that Kurama, after a thousand years of being alone, had finally found people who loved him. He shouldn't ruin it for him just because he didn't have any family at all...

Wait.

He _did _have a living relative.

Hiei turned a corner. How could he have forgotten about Yukina? Of course, she didn't know he was her brother, but that didn't mean he couldn't spend the day with her. What did one do on Christmas?

"Friends buy for friends," Hiei recited what Kurama had said. That was what he would do. He would buy a present for her.

Hiei traveled on, feeling inexplicably, childishly happy. This was something he could do. He would find her, and the others, something special. And he would buy; he wouldn't steal. That would be more thoughtful. Hiei almost laughed to himself as he turned another corner, heading toward the town.

****

So what does everyone think so far? I know it's starting off slowly. Don't worry, T.S. Eliot fans, I'll get to the poem, and how the story ties in with it, in the later chapters. I'll update soon, and again, please review!


	2. Christmas shopping

A/N: Hi again. Thank you to everyone who read it, and the review made me very happy--thanks! I think this chapter will be longer than the last one, and it will be a little more humor-oriented. Don't get too used to it, though--there's a very angst-y chapter coming up next. Please enjoy the story and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any other copyrighted things that I might use in this story.

Journey of the Magi

Ch.2

Yusuke walked down the street to his house, whistling "Holly Jolly Christmas." He loved this song, a), because it was one of the first songs he could ever remember learning--his mother had taught it to him in the middle of July when he'd been about two after she had consumed roughly six bottles of wine on her birthday--b), because it got stuck in your head easily and could be used as a way to express your carefree feelings, and, most importantly, c), because it highly irritated all of his friends, particularly Keiko, and, after all, that was what it was all about. 

Yusuke bobbed his head to the beat as he opened the door to his house. He was thinking about spending a relaxing afternoon watching the Beavis and Butthead marathon on MTV, or maybe inviting Kuwabara over to steamroller him in a game of Mortal Kombat. However, when he entered the living room, he saw Kurama sitting on his couch, obviously waiting to speak to him. 

"What's up, Fox-boy?" Yusuke asked lightly, dread filling his stomach. Usually, when Kurama came to his house to speak to him, he did not have good news. Yusuke hoped desperately that Kurama was not about to tell him about some new mission. "Come to ruin my Christmas vacation?"

"Maybe," Kurama said dryly. "I've come to invite you to a Christmas Eve all- night party at my house."

Yusuke raised his eyebrows, unsure whether or not to laugh. "You mean like a slumber party?"

"If that's what you want to call it."

"Well, gee, Kurama," Yusuke said, somewhat at a loss. "I haven't been to a slumber party since Keiko's eighth birthday. She was trying to be nice by inviting me, but I think it did more harm than good to my social life. I never got invited to slumber parties after that."

"What did you do?" 

"Why do you assume that the incident was _my _fault?"

Kurama regarded him patiently. Yusuke glowered. "All right, all right. I set one mouse loose. One! I thought it would be funny! How was _I_ supposed to know that Keiko's best friend was deathly afraid of mice, huh? No justice, I tell you..."

Kurama hid a smile. "So so you want to come?"

"I dunno..."

"Kaasan will feed you on Christmas morning."

"Hot dog! Why didn't you say so? Let me go pack my jammies and --"

"It's not until tonight, Yusuke."

"Oh. Well, good, cause I don't have any jammies. But I'll be there."

****

Kurama walked down the street to his house, feeling pretty pleased with himself. All of his friends had agreed relatively quickly to come to the sleepover...except, of course, for Hiei. Kurama had not yet asked him to come because he was nowhere to be found. There was no telling where he was, either; Hiei had a habit of turning up in the weirdest places. Kurama knew, however, that if he waited in his room long enough, Hiei would eventually show up there. He could get some studying done in the meantime. Kurama hummed a tune--something Yusuke had been whistling--as he entered his house.

****

Hiei stared up at the enormous structure called a "mall." It was festively decorated--practically every inch of the building was covered in evergreen boughs or reindeer statues. Hiei entered the sliding glass doors, feeling very awkward and out of place. Where was he supposed to start looking? There were dozens of brightly lit shops to choose from, and this was only the ground floor. Who knew how many levels there were? 

Hiei glanced into each of the shops as he passed them. Many of the windows sported slightly creepy human-shaped statues wearing many different styles of clothing. There were entire shops that seemed to carry nothing but shoes, hundreds and hundreds of shoes. There were shops that sold little porcelain animal figurines and music boxes, stores that sold books and CDs, stores that sold movies and TV- related merchandise, toy stores, and stores with undergarment-filled display windows that made Hiei blush to look at them.

Hie sat on the side of the fountain in the crossroads of the mall and tried to get his bearings. He felt like his head was spinning. Perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew with this idea of presents. How in the world was one expected to find anything in a place like this? The flashing lights from all the stores were starting to give him a headache, and he hadn't been in a crowd this big or loud in a long time. It was usually something he tried to avoid at all costs.

_All right, _he told himself firmly, trying to ignore how the sickly smell of sugar from the cookie shop was mixing with the smell of dogs and birds from the pet shop across from it, _you just have to pick one and go inside. Buying presents can't be that hard if ningens can pull it off._ He took a deep breath and marched resolutely into a shop labeled Cracker Barrel Old Time Country Store.

It seemed to be a shop full of pointless but cute little trinkets. _At least it smells good in here,_ Hiei thought as he breathed in the scent of potpourri. He decided to look for Yusuke's gift first. 

He didn't really have any specific gift in mind, so he browsed for a few minutes. There were some interesting things in here. An entire wall was devoted to Coca-Cola merchandise. There were Coca-Cola radios, Coca-Cola model cars, Coca-Cola salt-and-pepper shakers, and everything else under the sun. A wooden stand in the middle of the store was filled with lotion made of goat's milk. The back corner was stacked with toys. There were slide whistles and Beanie Babies and Slinkies. Hiei had a slinky back home in his tree. Kurama had given it to him at some point. It was actually one of his favorite possessions, although he would never admit that to anyone. 

_Let's see, _Hiei thought. _What would Yusuke want?_

He was just beginning to get discouraged when he saw it--the perfect gift for Yusuke. It was a clay cup holder in the shape of a monkey. Instead of a drink, it was clutching a bag of Swedish chocolate. Hiei grinned. Randomness and food. Yusuke would definitely like it. 

Hiei walked uncertainly up to the checkout counter. He knew how this process was supposed to work, in theory. He had some ningen money--Koenma always gave him some after missions, calling it his "paycheck." Hiei had never really been sure what to do with it, but Kurama had advised him not to throw it away. Kurama usually knew what he was talking about, so Hiei stored all the money he got in a sack in his tree. in case it ever came in useful for something. He had accumulated quite a pile of it over the time he'd spent working for Koenma. He didn't know how much he would need for the monkey, but he had brought it all along just in case. He placed the monkey on the counter and glanced at the man with the nametag on his shirt, waiting for him to do something. He was currently pushing buttons on a handheld device labeled Game Boy Advanced. After a few seconds, Hiei spoke.

"I would like to purchase this."

The man looked over at him. "Huh?"

Perhaps this ningen was slow. Hiei spoke more clearly. "I wish to exchange ningen money for this monkey." 

The boy blinked. "Uh...whatever. That'll be $9.99."

There were no pieces of money labeled $9.99. Hiei hesitated. 

The boy looked like he thought Hiei might be the one who was slow. "Here. I can take a ten and give you change."

Change? What did he intend to change? Hiei was baffled, but he gave the man a piece of paper with a ten in the corner. The man placed it in a metal box and handed Hiei a small copper coin. He then put the monkey, along with a slip of white paper, into a bag and held it out to him. "Have a nice day."

Thoroughly bewildered, Hiei nodded and took the bag. Well, whether he understood or not, at least he seemed to have successfully purchased the monkey. _Stealing was much less trouble,_ he thought as he left the store.

****

Kurama hoisted himself up another branch of Hiei's tree. He still hadn't seen him all day, so he had decided to pay him a house visit and see if he was home. No luck. 

Kurama looked around the tree that, were he in the form of Youko the fox spirit, would have radiated Hiei's scent to him. There wasn't much here--for a thief, Hiei was surprisingly non-materialistic. That, and the fact that he didn't know how to use money. The things Hiei owned were therefore comprised of things he'd found and things that had been given to him(by Kurama, for the most part). There was the blanket Kurama had forced him to take in case of cold nights--it looked as if it had been grudgingly used once or twice. There was the blank book he'd told Hiei he could fill with poems, stories, pictures, or anything else he wanted(Kurama resisted the temptation to open it and read what he'd written). There was Hiei's collection of things he'd found that he wanted to keep, made up of assorted feathers, flowers(Kurama had shown him how to dry them so that they would last), pretty rocks, leaves, nuts, and random litter that Hiei somehow found attractive. There was the slinky(Kurama had let him play with one belonging to his little brother to keep him occupied one night while he'd had to study, and Hiei had seemed so fascinated by it that Kurama had given him one of his own). There was a hair ribbon of Yukina's, and a necklace to which Hiei had fastened one of his tear-jewels. Kurama knew that he planned to give it to Yukina someday. 

Looking around at all these things, Kurama suddenly noticed that something was missing. The sack of the money Hiei had from unused paychecks(which Kurama suspected had accumulated well into the thousands) was not in the bend of the tree limb like it usually was. 

Kurama considered. _Hiei must be trying to buy something. He doesn't know how._ Kurama had a sudden flash of Hiei traipsing around Wal-Mart dragging his sack full of money behind him and looking around for a sign that outlined the process of buying things. He suppressed a grin. He hoped Hiei didn't hurt himself...or anyone else...

****

"Look, ningen, I don't see what's so hard about this."

The slack-jawed ningen checkout clerk crossed his arms. "You say you need a gift for the son of the devil."

Hiei exhaled through clenched teeth. "For the thousandth time, _yes_."

"Okay, um, well, I don't really know what to tell you, sir..."

"He's my boss," Hiei said, trying to help.

The clerk's eyes brightened. "Oh! You mean your boss is so evil that he's like the spawn of the devil!"

"No. I mean he _is_ the spawn of the devil."

The clerk blinked. "...Aren't you a little young to be working?"

"Never. Mind." Hiei stomped out of the bookstore. He would just get Koenma a box of chocolates or something. The others hadn't been quite as hard. Kuwabara, surprisingly, had been fun to buy for. He had stolen a picture of his cat, Eikichi, and had taken it to a shop and let the people there enlarge it and put it on a T-shirt. Botam loved cats, too, so Hiei had gotten her a wooden carving of a regal-looking Egyptian one. Shizuru had gotten a CD, Keiko, a book, and Jin, an art set. Now Hiei sat once again on the fountain in the middle of the mall and thought.

Kurama.

What to do?

Kurama was...Hiei tried to collect his thoughts. Of course, he and Kurama constantly bickered, argued, and usually attempted to kill each other at least three times a week. Kurama teased him constantly about being short and often trapped him in vines and hung him from the ceiling or sneaked up behind him and pinned him to the ground for no other reason than just to prove he could. _Stupid kitsune,_ Hiei thought grumpily.

And yet...and yet Kurama had been the one who'd taught him(pretty patiently, actually) to pick locks and fight with a whip and do that cool thing where you fade into the shadows and freak everyone out. Kurama had asved his life who knew how many times, often getting seriously injured in the process. Kurama let him stay at his house when he was lonely but would rather die than admit it to anyone...

_All right, all _right, Hiei thought to himself. _Stop. I know he's my friend. I _know, _okay?_

Hiei thought hard. What could he get for Kurama? He really didn't want to screw up Kurama's gift. What did Kurama like? Well...Kurama liked shiny, sparkly things. _Yeah, he used to steal them all the time, _Hiei thought. He glanced around till he saw a shop with a display window full of bright, shiny silver and gold chains and hoops, some with sparkling jewels on the ends.

Hiei made his way to the counter, feeling that this gift was important enough that he should ask for help from people who worked at the shiny things store. 

"Yes?" The ningen lady smiled.

"I need to purchase something shiny and good for someone."

"Um...okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Something good."

The woman smiled. "Who is the gift for, young man?"

"...Someone important," Hiei muttered finally. And here he was talking about someone important to him. Important. Not long ago, he would not have considered anyone important. Now there were two people for whom Hiei knew, although he would never admit it, that he would do anything they asked. The thought made him a little uncomfortable, but on another level it was kind of nice. 

The woman was still smiling. "Someone important? Aren't you sweet!"

Hiei blinked. He had never in his life been called sweet. It was a testament to how weird he felt that he did not draw his katana on the ningen.

"Here you go, sweetie." The ningen handed Hiei a small package. This is a good one."

"It's good? Really?" asked Hiei nervously. 

"It will make this important person very happy," the ningen promised.

She smiled again, and Hiei found himself smiling back at her as he awkwardly took the package and exited the store.

****

Yeah, yeah, I know, poor Hiei. ^_^ But he'll be alright. Like I said before, the next chapter is a little angst-y. Please review, and I'll update as soon as I can.


	3. Santa Claus and stained glass windows

A/N: Hi. Here it is. I am able to update quickly between chapters because I am on Christmas break and have nothing else to do. Also, the story was already finished before I started typing it. I wrote it during exams at school. On that subject, my friend would like me to tell you that you had better enjoy this story because it is the reason I was "being boring" and was too busy to talk to her during exam week. I hope you do enjoy it, and, as always, please review!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Journey of the Magi

Ch. 3

Hiei had gone above and beyond his own expectations and found gifts for everyone he knew. Except one. The most important one. 

If Hiei had been nervous about finding Kurama a suitable gift, it was nothing to how he felt about Yukina's. This was his chance to give something meaningful to the only family member he'd ever known. 

He walked from store to store, searching through shelves and display stands, finding things that were nice, things that would have made good gifts, but nothing that he felt was worthy of Yukina.

When he left the last store, still empty-handed, night had fallen outside. He must have been searching for hours. He wandered back to the now- familiar fountain and sat down with a sigh. What was he going to do? He had to give something to Yukina. She meant more to him than anyone else in the world. But he also could not give her something inferior. It had to be perfect. 

"Son, are you waiting to see me? I'm off duty."

Hiei looked up. A large, fat man was regarding him with concern. "Are you lost? Did you get separated from your parents?" 

Hiei, too tired to register the unintentional insult, took in the man's red suit and hat, and his long, obviously fake silver beard . "I thought you weren't real?"

The man blinked. "Oh, jeez, did someone tell you that?"

Hiei nodded. The man sighed. "I'm getting less and less business every year. Parents have started telling children at younger and younger ages that Santa is a hoax."

"So who are you?"

"I dress up as Santa and let the kids sit on my knee and tell me what they want for Christmas. Kind of a discreet way of letting the parents know what the kids want while still letting them tell 'Santa.'

"How delightfully cynical," Hiei murmured. 

The man looked at him sharply, then sighed. "Yes. I suppose." He gestured to the space next to Hiei. "Mind if I sit here?"

Hiei shrugged imperceptibly. The man lowered himself with some difficulty onto the fountain, took off his hat, and loosed his beard so that it hung around his neck. He then reached into his pocket and extracted a pack of Camels and a lighter, which he flicked twice to get a flame. He slid the cigarette into his mouth. lit the tip, took a long drag, and exhaled with a sigh. 

After a while, the man glanced at Hiei, who was watching him. "What is it, son?"

Hiei looked away, embarrassed. "I don't know what to do," he said abruptly after a few minutes. 

The man said nothing, just took another puff on his cigarette.

"There's a girl--my sister--and I need--I want to give her something special because I've never had the chance to that before and there's nothing here--there's nothing anywhere--that's good enough for her."

"Son, if she's your sister, anything you give her will be special."  


Hiei was sick of that speech. He got it all the time from Kurama. "You don't understand," he snapped, hands clenching into fists. No one seemed to understand how he felt. Yukina was pure, an angel, a lily. She was genuinely compassionate and trusting and kind. She had been kidnapped not long ago, tortured mercilessly by men who'd wanted nothing more than to see her cry, and still, she had not lost her innocence, her faith in the world. That day, that day Hiei had saved her, when he had grabbed the mob boss by the throat and squeezed till the man gagged and choked and pleaded, When he had drawn his katana back, fully intending to plunge it into the man's heart, wanting to see his lifeblood for what he'd done to Yukina, and Yukina had thrown herself onto his arm and pulled back the sword, begging him not to kill the man who'd tortured her, saying it would only make things worse, she had actually _cried _for the man, cried as she begged Hiei to stop, and Hiei had felt so filthy standing there next to he, his sword already dripping with the life of every other syndicate agent in the building, along with that of their wives and children, the outcome of his rage on Yukina's behalf, and wasn't that the story of his life?

Hiei was breathing hard. "I don't deserve her," he muttered finally, getting himself under control. 

"Well, obviously." The man blew a cloud of smoke into the air. 

Hiei looked up sharply, taken by surprise. "What?"

The man looked at him like it was obvious. "Of course you don't deserve her, boy! If you did, it would be meaningless, wouldn't it?"

Hiei looked at the man uncertainly. "I don't understand."

The man took a long time to answer. When he did, he removed the cigarette from his mouth, holding it to the side, and looked directly at Hiei. 

"If you ask me, this Santa thing has given people the exact wrong idea about Christmas. According to Santa Claus, you're rewarded if you're good and punished if you're bad. Well, I can tell you, I've held enough bratty, spoiled kids on my knee to understand the fact that no one actually deserves Christmas. It's sad, but no one is 'good,' or deserves to be put on the 'nice' list, no matter how hard they try to convince people otherwise. Nah, if you ask me, the point of the Christmas season should be to give people what they _don't _deserve. And maybe if you do that, well, maybe they'll start looking at things a little differently, eh?" He leaned in closer. "Give the girl something that shows her what she means to you _because _you don't deserve her. You don't deserve her and she keeps you anyway. But listen to me going on and on. It's really none of my business." The man stood with a groan and ground out his cigarette on an ashtray sitting on a trash can near the fountain. "Merry Christmas to you, boy, and I hope it works out for you."

****

Hiei walked slowly down the slush-covered sidewalk, deep in thought. Something that showed her what she meant to him. What did she mean to him, exactly? He knew his feelings, but it was so difficult to describe in words. Unbidden, the image of the three travelers following the star flashed across his mind's eye. Hiei scowled. It was Christmas Eve, and he still did not have a clue as to what to give Yukina. 

Hiei stopped suddenly and did a double take. There was that picture, the picture of the three travelers and the star, on a sign outside a building. Hiei walked closer, curious. He could hear singing from inside, and it looked as if there were candles in the stained glass windows. He pressed his face up against the glass pane in the door, after wiping away the frost. There _were _people singing in there, and more pictures of the star. Hiei hesitated. The image was really troubling him; he felt that he would have at least some peace if he found out what it meant. On the other hand, what if he wasn't allowed in there? Who knew what this gathering was for? Still, the sign out front did say Welcome...

Hiei snorted. He wasn't about to shy away from a bunch of ningens. He quietly opened the door. A few people looked around at him. Some looked disapprovingly at his hair and clothing, but most smiled at him. 

Hiei chose a seat in the back and waited for something to happen. After the song ended, a man walked up to the podium at the front, and the lights dimmed so that the only light in the room came from the candles in the windows. The man opened a book and began to read aloud:

"They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then, they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, and of incense, and of myrrh."

The man sat down. Hiei blinked as he thought about this. The three travelers, then, had followed the star over the wilderness until it led them to this child. To these three travelers, the child had been a symbol of an entirely new life for them, one with hope and purpose. The star had led them there. Perhaps--and Hiei knew for certain that he had been around Kurama too long when he started thinking in symbols like this--perhaps Yukina...

The people were singing again. The vaulted ceiling echoed with each note. 

_"We three kings of Orient are_

Bearing gifts, we travel afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star

Oh, star of wonder, star of light

Star of royal beauty bright

Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us with thy perfect light."

And he knew.

He knew, suddenly, with a clarity so absolute he could nearly taste it, what the image meant to him. What Yukina meant to him. And what he would do for her.

Hiei stood up and quietly slipped out the door into the frigid Christmas Eve night, where a few white snowflakes were beginning to make their way down from heaven to the earth below.

**** 

Okay, there. How's that? The next chapter will be the last, I think. Did I write this one well? Was I too dramatic or forceful with my point? I hope not, but please tell me if I was. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed already. I will update as soon as I can!


	4. Journey of the Magi

A/N: Sorry it took me a little longer this time. This is the last chapter, and it might be a little on the long side. I really hope you enjoy it! 

Disclaimer: I will never own Yu Yu Hakusho, no matter how much I dream...

Journey of the Magi

Ch.4

Kurama lay on his side in a sleeping bag on his living room floor, staring at the opposite wall. The porch lights cast thin shadows around the room, and every now and then a car would drive past, the whir of its engine echoing strangely in the otherwise silent night.

The others were all asleep by now. Kuwabara's snores rang through the room at regular intervals, and Yusuke occasionally muttered something such as, "Keiko, give...me a break, I'll study later...still fifteen minutes...till the test..." before rolling over in his sleep.

The evening had been enjoyable enough. They had watched _It's A Wonderful Life _and made up their own version about Yusuke. They had drunk egg nog. They had even played spin the bottle--however, since everyone seemed to feel that there was too much risk involved with actual kissing (what if the bottle landed on Kuwabara?), they contented themselves with spinning the bottle and simply laughing at whoever it landed on.

Kurama sighed and shifted his position. It had been fun, but the entire reason he had thrown this party had been to prevent Hiei from being alone on Christmas morning, and he hadn't even been able to find him to tell him about it.

_It figures,_ Kurama thought as his eyes began to close. _Hiei must be able to sense when someone is trying to do something nice for him so he can avoid it._

Kurama rolled onto his back and allowed the gentle rhythm of the ceiling fan to put him into a dreamless sleep.

****

Yes, Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. Yes, snow covered the ground. Yes, the gift exchange was fun and touching and just generally an enjoyable time.

No, Hiei did not show up.

Kurama was beginning to get a little concerned. Hiei's tree had not been slept in the previous night--Kurama had gone there as soon as he'd woken up in one last attempt to find Hiei, and the fire demon's scent had been slightly faded. The one thing that kept Kurama from being truly worried was that he knew Hiei often left for days at a time for reasons he wouldn't tell anyone. He hoped, as he helped Kaasan set the table for breakfast, that this was all it was this time.

****

"And so then--" Yusuke took a huge bite of pie and continued, "And so then I said, 'Yeah, after I knock you out!' And I punched all three of them till they fell over. And then I stopped possessing the girl's body and she suddenly found herself in the middle of three knocked-out guys with bruised knuckles and no idea how she got there."

Everyone at the table burst into laughter. It was Christmas afternoon, and Yusuke was telling them about his exploits as a ghost.

"So let me get this straight," Shizuru grinned. "You were a ghost for over a week and it didn't occur to you to phase into Keiko's bedroom while she was getting dressed for school?"

Keiko choked on a handful of M&Ms. "Oh, Yusuke, you _didn't_,did you? How could you?!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yusuke protested. "I _didn't_! I didn't even think--I had other stuff on my mond, OK?"

"Sure, Yusuke," Botan said with a laugh, "and I'm sure the fact that if you did anything bad your spirit beast would bite your head off when it hatched did nothing to influence your decision."

"All right, you can all shut up now," Yusuke said as everyone started laughing again.

"Hey!" said Kuwabara suddenly. "Midget! What's up?"

Kurama turned his head sharply. Hiei was standing on the window sill looking awkward. 

Yusuke beckoned him inside. "Come on, man, sit down, have some pie, join everyone in TAUNTING THE HECK OUT OF ME WITH CLAIMS THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BASIS IN FACT!"

Everyone started laughing again. Kurama watched Hiei jump into the room with a "Hn," then turn around and attempt to pull a sack through behind him.

"Do you need help?" Kurama asked.

"No, I do not need help," Hiei snapped.

"It's just that that bag is as big as you are."

Hiei glared at Kurama, making him laugh. He was glad Hiei had finally shown up.

"What's in the bag?" Yusuke asked curiously.

Hiei shifted uncomfortably. "...Presents."

Kurama blinked. "Really? You bought things, Hiei? By--by yourself?"

"Yes," Hiei glared. "I can do anything ningens can do."

Yusuke was rippping the paper off his gift. "Wow! A monkey! And he's got chocolate! Thanks, Three-Eyes!"

Kuwabara was holding his new shirt. "Cool! A picture of my kitty! I'll put it on right now!" He began to take off his shirt, and everyone else in the room cried out and covered his or her eyes. 

"I'm glad you like it," Hiei said dryly.

"Yeah! Wait, where'd you get the picture?"

Hiei pulled out Kurama's gift and, with a jerky movement, as if he were having a seizure, shoved it into his hands.

Kurama raised his eyebrows. "What is this? Hiei, I'm touched." He gave Hiei a mock bow.

"Just open it, kitsune," Hiei grated.

"You did a good job wrapping this."

"The woman at the store did it."

"Ah."

Kurama carefully removed the paper as Hiei stood watching nervously. He opened the little box and revealed a beautiful engagement ring with a diamond on it. He blinked, somewhat at a loss.

"The ningen at the store said it would make you happy. She said it was good," Hiei said, watching Kurama as Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Shizuru doubled up with silent laughter in the background and Keiko glared at them, her face twitching, and put a finger to her lips. Yukina stood, looking lost..

"it's very good," Kurama said quickly. "Thank you, Hiei." 

Kurama smiled as he slipped the ring into his pocket. Someday, when Hiei knew more about the human world, Kurama would take this out and tease him mercilessly. But not today. The infamous thief Youko Kurama simply felt, as he watched Hiei's anxious eyes, that he didn't have the heart.

****

After the meal, Hiei had taken Kurama aside and asked him if he could borrow his handheld telescope. Kurama had looked puzzled at the request, but had agreed without asking any questions. Now, as the sky began to darken, Hiei stood and made his way over to Yukina. He managed to get her away from Kuwabara, who was trying to impress her by butchering out "O Holy Night" on Kurama's piano, and asked to speak to her alone.

"Yes?" Yukina asked, looking at Hiei with polite interest.

Hiei swallowed. "I have a gift for you."

Yukina's eyes widened. "Oh, Hiei, you didn't have to do that!"

_Yes, I did, _Hiei thought, but said nothing. He beckoned Yukina over to the door, and they walked outside into the cold evening air.

Hiei took a deep breath, his palms sweating. "Yukina, I ...there's something you can do where you--you can get a star named after a person and I--I named one for you." There. He had said it.

Yukina's crimson-brown eyes softened even more than usual. "Hiei...Thank you. I am touched."

Yukina's habit of bluntly, clearly stating her emotions was not shared by her brother. Hiei gazed up at the stars that were just beginning to appear. His grip tightened around the telescope Kurama had given him, and he raised it to his eye almost subconsciously. 

"Where is it?" Yukina asked softly, leaning close to Hiei and pressing her eye against the glass as well. Her hair fell across his shoulder and stood out against the black of his clothes.

"There." Hiei pointed. Yukina searched until she found the star he meant. She looked at it for a long time, her eyes reflecting genuine wonder. When she gave the telescope back to Hiei, she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Hiei," she said, and squeezed his hand before turning and walking back toward the house.

Something painful was happening inside Hiei as he watched her walk away. The hand clutching the telescope trembled.

"Yukina!" he blurted, much more loudly than he'd intended. "Wait!"

Yukina turned.

"I have something to tell you," he said, his voice shaking.

Yukina waited, the light from Kurama's house illuminating her childlike features. She could not know that Hiei's soul was teetering between life and death. He felt as if he couldn't breathe. 

The stars shone in Yukina's eyes. Hiei could not look away.

"What is it, Hiei?" Yukina asked after a few moments' silence. Hiei blinked, and the tension he had felt in his body slowly faded.

"Never mind," Hiei said quietly. "It wasn't important."

Yukina nodded. "Merry Christmas, Hiei."

****

Christmas evening saw a rare moment of peace for the Rekai Tantei.

Botan and Shizuru sat on the couch playing with Yukina's hair. Keiko was curled up in a blanket by the fire reading the book Hiei had given her. Kurama was drinking hot chocolate and listening to the radio. Yusuke and Kuwabara were sitting cross-legged on the rug beside the television set playing video games, but even they kept their insults and victory shouts to a minimum. Everyone seemed to be in a quiet, reflective sort of mood.

Hiei sat in his usual place on the windowsill. He stared out the window and watched the cars drive by, an unreadable expression on his face. He was grateful for the fact that the others knew him well enough not to try to start a conversation. He was content to simply watch Kuwabara and Yusuke as they played Star Wars games, or to listen to Christmas carols on the radio. 

Eventually, however, Yusuke looked over to where Hiei was sitting and asked lightly, "So, Three-Eyes, how'd you like Christmas?"

"Stupid ningen holiday," Hiei responded automatically. "I'll never understand why you do these things."

Yusuke grinned and returned to his game. Botan leaned over onto Shizuru's shoulder and yawned. The radio played "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and Kurama sang softly in Latin.

Hiei turned back to the window and watched the last bit of daylight fade from the sky.

****

Night had truly fallen by the time everyone left Kurama's house. Hiei had changed windowsills and was now in Kurama's bedroom, halfheartedly looking through his textbooks. He turned a page, and found himself looking at a piece of ningen poetry. He paused, mildly curious, and skimmed through a few lines.

He then stopped, went back, and read the entire thing slowly and carefully.

When he was finished, he sat staring at the page for a long time. Paper rustled as Kurama went through his notes, reciting mathematical formulas to himself. Hiei stood.

"I have to go," he told Kurama. 

Kurama looked up from his notes. "It's cold outside tonight," he said. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

"I'll be all right."

Kurama nodded. "I'm sure you will be."

Hiei climbed out of the window and disappeared into the night. 

****

Kurama glanced at his clock. 11:07. He yawned and stood, stacking his papers and returning them to their folders. He walked across the room and started to gather his textbooks. His English book was open to the poetry section. Kurama paused, curious as to what Hiei had been reading.

__

Journey of the Magi

by T. S. Eliot

"A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year 

For a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp,

The very dead of winter."

And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory, 

There were times we regretted

The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, 

And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and grumbling

And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,

And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly

And the villages dirty and charging high prices:

A hard time we had of it.

At the end we preferred to travel all night,

Sleeping in snatches,

With the voices singing in our ears, saying

That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,

Wet, below the snowline, smelling of vegetation;

With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,

And three trees on the low sky,

And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,

And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.

But there was no information, and so we continued

And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon

Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,

And I would do it again, but set down

This set down

This: Were we led all that way for 

Birth or Death? There was a birth, certainly,

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different; this Birth was

Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.

We returned to our palaces, these Kingdoms,

But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,

With an alien people clutching their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

Kurama closed the book and stacked it neatly with the others on his desk. He walked over to his window, to close it, and paused with his hand on the pane. It occurred to him that the tree Hiei slept in was an evergreen.

Despite the cold, Kurama decided to leave the window open that night. He climbed into bed and turned out his lamp. Nothing was visible but the stars.

_You'll be all right._

Kurama closed his eyes, and Christmas night faded into the starlight.

****

A/N: What do you think?... Did I overdo it? I won't be offended if you tell me so.^_^

I hope you enjoyed this story; I had a lot of fun writing it. Thank you to everyone who read and I appreciate the reviews. I'd still like more people to review if they want, though. Thanks again for reading to the end and, even though it's late, Merry Christmas! ^_^

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